Life of Agony’s Mina Caputo Discusses Transgender Transformation

Against Me! singer Tom Gabel has been in the headlines this year as he undergoes the transition from male to female to become Laura Jane Grace. But if she needs someone to talk with about being a rocker undergoing such a change, she might want to reach out to Life of Agony's Mina Caputo.

Last July, the longtime metal vocalist known as Keith Caputo revealed that he was making the transition from male to female and would be known as Mina Caputo. The musician tells Noisecreep.com, "I got a lot of grief for it, but it was nothing compared to the years of pain I went through not being open about the way I felt inside."

Caputo says that it was difficult growing up and having another side that lived as a female, and it only intensified once puberty hit. She recalls, "I grew up in the '80s and information about being transgender and the way I was feeling just wasn't out there. Or at least, it wasn't that easy to find. I knew I didn't feel like a boy, and that made me extremely uncomfortable."

The singer says she doesn't detest masculinity or testosterone, but she feels the transformation was more about humanity than it was gender. She adds, "I feel like I'm bigger than gender. I'm gender-less. I know it's confusing, because most people can't think outside of the box. Society wants to think of males on one side and females on the other, but there's more to it than just that."

Caputo says after the revelation, there were some uncomfortable moments trying to continue in the world of metal. She adds, "The majority of our fans have always been male, and I've experienced a lot of closed-minded people in the metal world. You know, a lot of people that just don't know what's going on. What I want those people to know is that I'm a beautiful human being. Don't get me wrong - I've had a lot of support [in the metal scene], but there has also been a lot of rejection and criticism about my life."

The singer says that even with her inner feelings, she still lived the life of a rock god and adds that promiscuous sex with plenty of beautiful women were part of her pre-transition life. Caputo adds, "I've lived that life and it was a lot of fun, but it wasn't enough for me. It wasn't my heart. I was still in so much pain. I'm so much happier now and want to share this with everyone."